It’s that time of year again. After a typical holiday season that often includes too many parties with too much food, many will want to start that diet, get back to the gym and compensate for another year of good intentions gone awry. But most of the resolutions made on New Year’s Eve will be broken before the calendar turns to February.

People tend to want immediate results, and, if they mess up, they give up. It’s more important to focus on the health of your body than the look of your body. It’s really about making lifestyle changes that you can live with. Fad diets usually don’t work in the long run.

Resolutions can be a good thing, but here are some tips on how you can stick to them by setting reasonable goals and expectations you can actually meet:

1. Set reasonable goals and start out slowly.
2. Check with your doctor to be sure you’re healthy enough for exercise.
3. Check with a nutritionist to see what food changes are the best for your body.
4. Walk when you can, park further away from the mall and use the stairs instead of the elevator. Small changes can make a big difference.
5. March in place, weight train or use a good Pilates or Yoga tape at home. You don’t always need a gym.
6. Drink lots of water. A glass before meals can reduce hunger and make you eat less.
7. Don’t always deprive yourself, but eat smaller portions.
8. Know what’s in your food. Read labels, go for low sodium and avoid eating out too much – there are lots of hidden calories and fat in that “healthy” fast food salad!
9. Eat whole grains instead of refined pasta, bread and rice.
10. Fill up with high-fiber fruits and vegetables.

Plan on hitting the gym? Here are some weight-training tips:

• Learn proper exercise and weight-training techniques to avoid injury.
• Remember to breathe properly while exercising.
• Get the right ratio of cardio to weight-training exercise.
• Get the right ratio of power lifting (higher weights with fewer repetitions) to endurance lifting (lower weights with more repetitions).
• Vary your exercise routine. You don’t want to always work the same muscle groups.

As you start on your journey to better health, try using the buddy system. Having someone to motivate you, remind you of your goals and reinforce your successes can really help keep you on track.

For most families, December is a season for gift-giving and love, but it can also be a season of opportunity for thieves to take advantage of the unaware and unprepared. With the year’s final week of merriment just around the corner, there are a number of ways to ensure a happy but safe holiday.

To deter shop lifting, theft, breaking and entry and other crimes, the Howard County police will have additional officers patrolling local businesses in cars, on foot and on bicycles through New Year’s Day. They will also be paying special attention to impaired driving, speeding and other driving violations and conducting numerous DUI checkpoints. They advise County residents to be more careful and alert during the holiday season.

Holiday safety tips:

When You’re Shopping

• Shop, during the day if possible, with a group or in pairs.
• Always lock your car and look inside before entering.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
• Leave one hand free to quickly access keys or phone.
• Park in a highly visible well-lighted space.
• Never leave valuables or packages in sight in your car.
• If you feel uncomfortable when a stranger approaches, walk in another direction or walk backwards towards a store or business.
• Be very aware of your surrounding when using an ATM and try to avoid using them at night.
• Shop only with reputable online retailers that offer secure transactions.
• When the holidays are over, don’t put boxes for electronics or valuables in plain view on recycling day.

When You’re Away from Home

• If you are expecting a delivery, ask a neighbor to bring the packages inside.
• Have a neighbor watch your home.
• Secure doors and windows and turn on lights, a TV or radio so it appears that someone is home.
• Use automatic light timers if you’ll be gone for awhile.
• Don’t display gifts where they can be seen from outside.
• Stop mail and newspaper deliveries.
• Leave an emergency phone number with local police department.

Howard County General Hospital wishes you a very happy and safe holiday season!